RALEIGH: Dangerous conditions from Hurricane Florence have already claimed three lives and Governor Roy Cooper is urging people to remain vigilant by seeking safe shelter and heeding warnings from emergency officials.
According to authorities, one person was killed in Lenoir County while plugging in a generator. Two people were killed in New Hanover County when a tree fell on a home.
RALEIGH: Anticipating historic major damage across North Carolina from Hurricane Florence, Governor Roy Cooper today requested a presidential disaster declaration to expedite the process of receiving federal aid for cleanup and recovery. Read the request HERE.
RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper today urged North Carolinians to stay on guard as Hurricane Florence approaches the state, bringing high winds and the threat of catastrophic and potentially record-breaking rainfall and storm surge.
"My message today: Do not relax, do not get complacent. Stay on guard," Gov. Cooper said. "This is a powerful storm that can kill. Now is the time to get yourself to a safe place and stay there."
As the storm approaches, Gov. Cooper urged North Carolinians to follow common-sense tips to stay safe:
The State Emergency Response Team has activated the Joint Information Center in response to the potential threats to North Carolina from Hurricane Florence.
Located in the State Emergency Operations Center at 1636 Gold Star Drive in Raleigh, the JIC will coordinate the release of information regarding state storm preparation and response. Individuals are on duty to gather the latest information and assist reporters interested in covering the state’s response to the storm. Additionally, state officials will use this center to conduct media briefings as needed.
ReBuild North Carolina has awarded over $286,000 to 22 families whose homes were damaged in Hurricane Matthew. The grants come through North Carolina’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding. The families are located in Cumberland, Edgecombe, Robeson and Wayne counties, and funding will be used to repair damaged homes and to reimburse homeowners for work that is already completed.
Environmental reviews were approved today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Cumberland, Edgecombe and Wayne counties, which will allow homeowner awards to move forward on Hurricane Matthew repair projects funded by Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) in those counties.
North Carolina will appeal a decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the White House not to grant a major disaster declaration for the May floods and mudslides in western North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper said Tuesday.
The Governor’s Office and North Carolina Emergency Management learned Monday that the federal government had denied the state’s request for a federal disaster declaration. The state is seeking the declaration to pave the way for FEMA assistance for people and communities affected by the storms.
An eighth Hurricane Matthew Housing Recovery Application Center opens today in Bladen County to provide assistance to Hurricane Matthew survivors in the surrounding area. This additional application center joins seven existing centers located in Bertie, Columbus, Cumberland, Edgecombe, Lenoir, Robeson and Wayne counties. The Bladen County Application Center is located at:
Bladen County
5853 US 701 North
Elizabethtown, NC 28337
North Carolina may be eligible for an additional $125 million in disaster recovery funding to provide much needed relief for communities still recovering from Hurricane Matthew, Governor Roy Cooper said Thursday.
Under the U.S Senate budget proposal announced today, North Carolina could see up to $100 million for housing needs related to Hurricane Matthew, and $25 million to repair roads damaged by the storm.